Carly Fiorina Endorses Citizen Power Initiative

LA JOLLA, CA – During a speech before the Fairbanks Republican Women Federated, U.S. Senate candidate Carly Fiorina today announced her endorsement of the Citizen Power Initiative, which would make it illegal for the government to deduct money from a public employee’s wages for political purposes.

“I am proud to endorse the Citizen Power Initiative and sign the petition to give power back to Californians by protecting their hard-earned money and unplugging the political machine,” Fiorina announced to the crowd. “This important initiative will help restore public employees’ rights to make their own decisions about their own paychecks. It will allow them to decide for themselves which political campaigns to support or oppose. It would force union bosses to ask for financial support from their members instead of purloining it.”

The Citizen Power Initiative prevents unions from using the government to automatically take money out of a public employee’s paycheck for political campaigns and causes. The initiative is modeled on a similar law in Idaho that was upheld by the U.S. Supreme Court in February 2009.

“California’s special interests take money out of public employee paychecks to support their agenda of higher taxes and bigger government. Unions bankroll the campaigns of candidates like Barbara Boxer who have forgotten whom they were elected to represent and instead champion the unions’ tax-hiking, big-government policies,” Fiorina added. “These powerful special interest groups and their self-interested policies have helped bankrupt our state, hurting the lives and livelihoods of every Californian. We cannot afford to allow this vicious cycle to continue.”

In order to qualify for the November 2010 ballot, initiative proponents must gather 694,354 signatures by May 3. To learn more about the Citizen Power Initiative or to sign the petition, please visit www.unplugthepoliticalmachine.org.